Something Strange Afoot
by RavenclawHunterfromGallifrey22
Summary: It's sixth year at Hogwarts and Harry suspects that Malfoy is up to something. He needs Hermione to find out exactly what that is.
1. Chapter 1

The library is mostly abandoned as Hermione walks toward a distant bookshelf as a last ditch effort to discover something substantial for the Transfiguration essay she's currently writing. She's almost done and it's not due for another fortnight, but still she feels like it's already late. She heads down an aisle and then down another, her sleepy brown eyes searching the shelves for the volume she desires. If she could only find this book, it would complete her night and she could go back to the dormitory happy.

At last, she spies it, but it's way too high for her to reach and she left her wand in her book bag, which is still at her favorite table on the other side of the library. Hermione resolves to go for it anyway. First, she tries the tiptoes trick, but the one needlessly fails, as she knew it would. Then she tries simply jumping toward it. She wishes, not for the first time, that she resembled her best friend Ron Weasley in the height department. Jumping gets her nowhere. Finally, she tries anchoring her body to the bookshelf, standing on tiptoes, and reaching for it with her fingertips. She can almost touch it when she feels someone step up behind her and grab the very book she was aiming for.

"Looking for this?" a familiar deep voice breathes behind her. They take a step back so that Hermione can turn and face them. When she does, she can't help but gasp and immediately look away. "Well, was this the book you wanted?"

She looks up at him, surprised when he actually meets her gaze. "Yes, it is."

"Here," he says, handing her the book, before walking off down the aisle in the opposite direction. He stops before turning the corner and looks back at her. "Have a nice night, Granger." He disappears around the corner and Hermione immediately leans against the bookshelf, breathing out a series of seriously shaky breaths.

What just happened? She thinks to herself, trying to calm down a little. It was the first time in her extremely excellent memory that she could recall Malfoy ever acting civil to her, if not almost nice. Not only that, but he hadn't insulted her, not ever to call her a mudblood. It was all sending her into a bit of a frenzy. She quickly stands up straight, however, and shakes her head, getting rid of any more thoughts of Draco Malfoy, before heading back to her table with the ill-fated book in hand. You better be worth it, she thinks to herself as she looks down at the tome.

Hermione quickly gathers up her things, noting the late hour, and is glad that tomorrow is a Saturday that does not include a Quidditch match. After checking out the books she'll require, Hermione quickly exits the library and heads toward Gryffindor Tower, excited to climb into her warm bed and get some rest. She gives The Fat Lady the password and heads for the staircase to the girls' dormitory before spying Harry and Ron sitting on the nearest sofa obviously waiting for her. With a sigh, Hermione changes direction and heads toward them instead.

"Yes?" she asks them, sitting down in a chair across from them. That's when she notices the serious expression on Harry's face and the strained one on Ron's. "What is it? What's happened?"

Harry takes a deep breath before beginning to speak. "It's just that you know how I've been sort of tracking Malfoy since the start of term, because you know what I think."

"That he's a Death Eater, yes I know that you think that," Hermione says in a low whisper as there are still students milling around the common room. "Did you come up with any solid proof?"

"Not yet," Harry says with a disappointed sigh and a shake of his head. "But tonight after dinner I was up in my room watching him on the Marauder's Map, when he went into the library." For some unknown reason Hermione can feel her stomach involuntarily clench. "For a while he seemed to be zig zagging amongst the stacks until it seems he stopped to talk to someone. You being that someone." He ends giving her a questioning stare.

"Are you suggesting that I've been fraternizing with the enemy?" Hermione demands in her usual headstrong way. "That I've been messing around in the stacks of the library with a snotty, slick haired git who has made my life miserable since the day I met him? Is that what you could possibly be saying Harry?"

"No, of course not," Harry says, quickly holding his hands up in an act of surrender. "I was just worried that he had been mean to you."

"No, he was actually weirdly nice," Hermione says, relaxing a bit. "He saw me struggling to get a book off of a shelf and grabbed it for me."

"Oh," Harry says, relaxing as well, and sitting back in his seat.

"You wouldn't though, would you, 'Mione?" Ron asks, speaking for the first time.

"No, of course not," Hermione says blushing visibly. "Like I said he's a slick haired bully who I have no desire to even talk to let alone mess around with." With that, she gets up and goes to the girls' dormitory, leaving them to stare after her and exchange looks.

Hermione wakes up the next morning feeling refreshed and rejuvenated for the first time in the month that they had been back at school. She quickly gets up and makes her bed, preferring the house elves don't have to do any extra work. Then she hurries in the shower, drying her hair, and throwing it into a medium-high ponytail before heading down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

After eating a quick breakfast, Hermione waves to Ron and Harry before heading out of the castle. Luckily, today happens to be one of the few nice days left in the semester and Hermione plans to take advantage of it. She heads toward the Black Lake, humming a song with a spring in her step. She selects her favorite tree, which faces the lake, before setting her bag down and sitting against it. She reaches into her bag, pulls out the nefarious book of last night, and settles against the tree before opening it and beginning to read. It only seems like five minutes have passed when Harry and Ron approach her, blocking out the sun, which is now high in the sky. She looks up at them and then back down. She's finished nearly half the book.

"Hey," she says, closing the book and stretching her arms above her head. "What time is it?"

"Nearly lunch time," Ron says. "We thought maybe you'd want to head there with us."

"Sure," Hermione says, grasping Ron's hand for help up when he offers it. Harry grabs her book bag and hands it to her. She offers him a smile before slipping the book in, and slipping the bag's strap over her head before the three of them start the walk back to The Great Hall. They're almost there when Hermione notices that Ron and Harry have been exchanging strange looks. After about the fifth one, she puts both of her arms out to stop them.

"What's going on?" she asks, looking from one to the other.

"Nothing's going on." Harry says smoothly, although he doesn't meet her gaze.

"Why would you think something's going on?" Ron asks an air of innocence to his voice.

"You too must think I'm incredibly thick. That I wouldn't notice the looks you have been sharing. Now tell me before I either curse it out of you or have Ginny do it."

Ron gives Harry a panicked look. "We should probably just tell her."

"Yeah, you probably should," Hermione says, turning to glare at Harry. "Out with it. Now."

Harry lets out a deep, angsty sigh. "Well Ron and I were talking this morning, and a bit last night. About how you said Malfoy was actually nice to you."

"Yeah, and?"

"Well," Ron says nervously. "We thought that if he was nice to you again…"

"You could simply be nice back," Harry finishes lamely. "Maybe you could see what he's up to."

"See what he's up to?" Hermione says tensely, arching an eyebrow. "Last night you guys were upset that he had helped me retrieve a book and now you want me to befriend him. Do you forget who you're talking to? I'm only the mudblood who Malfoy has been hazing since the day I arrived at Hogwarts."

"I realize this is a lot to ask," Harry says to her. "And I know how you feel when it comes to Malfoy, but you know I wouldn't ask you to do this if it wasn't important."

Hermione sighs deeply and takes a minute to think. "I guess I could. However, I'm not going to seek him out. I doubt that he'll talk to me again, and if he does, he probably won't be nice about it. If he does though, I promise to be nice to him."

That evening after dinner Hermione heads to the library to attempt to finish her Transfiguration essay. After all, Ron and Harry will be asking her for help in about a week and how is she supposed to help them if hers isn't finished? She quickly finds her favorite table and notices how empty the library is. That's not particularly unusual for a Saturday night. Tomorrow night it would be packed with students of all ages hurrying to finish their assignments.

About an hour has passed when Malfoy walks in with Blaise Zabini. Hermione looks up as they sit at a table that is oddly very near her own. Malfoy glances at her in a way that probably would seem nonchalant to an outsider, but something about it triggers her curiosity. She meets his gaze for a second before looking pointedly at the stacks. Marking her place in the book she had been studying, Hermione gets up and heads for the nearest shelves. She pretends to browse the selection and waits.

Not even a minute passes by before she hears footsteps approaching from behind her. She turns to see Malfoy a couple feet away looking at her with a questioning stare if she's ever seen one. He's wearing his uniform but his shirt is wrinkled and the green and silver tie is nearly undone, hanging loosely at the collar. She meets his eyes briefly and it's all she can really stand. There seems to be something hidden there something ominous and dark. Hermione thinks to herself that he looks paler than usual and his hair isn't slicked back as much as usual.

"What do you want from me?" she finds herself whispering, momentarily forgetting that she told Harry and Ron she'd be nice to him.

"What makes you think I want anything from you?" Malfoy asks, taking another step toward her and shoving his hands deep into his trouser pockets.

Hermione sighs deeply before continuing. "You helped me yesterday."

"I got a book down for you, simple as that."

"You haven't called me mudblood since school started."

"School's only been going on for a month."

"You looked at me," she says finally. "Without any animosity. Without that senseless blind revulsion you always reserve for me."

"You're imagining things." He says, taking a hand out of his pocket and treading it through his pale tresses, not daring to look at her now.

"Fine," Hermione says sharply. "You don't need anything. There's no point in me standing here quarreling with you then." She turns abruptly and starts to walk the opposite way when a hand catches her wrist. Stopping she turns to look at him. He's so close now.

"I need help," he states urgently. "And I don't know who else to ask."

"You need help," she repeats lamely. "And you need it from me?"

"Look, I wouldn't ask if it wasn't urgent," he says, releasing her wrist and scratching his forearm. "I'm failing Charms."

"You want me to help you with magic?" Hermione says, studying him for a second. He did look very desperate and she could probably teach him.

"Please," he says, finally looking her in the eyes, allowing gray to meet brown. Hermione feels the last of her stubbornness dwindle away with that simple word.

"Fine," she says, crossing her arms. "Seven o'clock tomorrow night. Meet me in the abandoned classroom on the third floor. Do you know the one?"

"Yes, I know it."

"Then I'll see you there," she says, and starts to walk away before turning back. "Oh and Malfoy?"

"Yes, Granger?"

"Don't be late."


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione leaves Ancient Runes the next day more tired than she was used to. For some reason she had nightmares all night long, but now she can't remember what they were even about. She heads to the Gryffindor common room, giving the Fat Lady the password in the middle of a yawn. As soon as she gets in there, she plops down on the couch and proceeds to doze off. This only lasts about five minutes before Ginny sits down next to her rather roughly. Hermione opens her eyes to survey the girl who she can tell is visibly upset.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asks, stretching her arms over her head and trying desperately not to yawn.

"Nothing," she says with a huffy sigh. "Just my stupid brother."

"I'm going to assume you mean Ronald, since he's the only one left here," Hermione says, sitting up in the seat more and adjusting the hem of her skirt. "What'd he do this time?"

Ginny scoots closer to Hermione and lowers her voice. "He kind of caught Dean and I in a broom closet. We were snogging, but Dean also wasn't wearing a shirt."

Hermione snorts. "Oh, is that all. Have you two…?"

"No," says Ginny with a shake of her head. "But I think soon."

"Maybe I'm not the person to tell you this, seeing as I have next to no experience in physical matters, but Ginny be careful."

"Of course," Ginny says placing her hand on Hermione's arm. "Ready to go to dinner?"

"Might as well."

A few minutes later Ginny and Hermione slide into the Gryffindor table across from Harry and Ron. Ron gives Ginny a judgy look so Hermione sees it fit to give him a sharp kick under the table. After that, he simply avoids looking at his sister. While Ron is silently shoving mass amounts of food down his gob, Hermione can't help but notice that Harry keeps sending her looks.

"What?" she asks, growing steadily more impatient with his weird behavior as of late.

"I'll talk to you after dinner," is all he says.

"What is it?" Hermione asks Harry as they walk into The Great Hall. He takes her arm and leads her off to the side where they can safely speak in private.

"I guess I just want you to be careful," Harry admits, adjusting his glasses nervously. "Malfoy is up to something, and I want you to be cautious when it comes to him."

"So be friendly, but don't be his friend?"

"Maybe treat him like he's a dangerous Hippogriff," Harry suggests with a grin. "Try not to insult him."

"Will do, boss," she says and turns to walk away.

Harry's hand shoots out and grabs her arm really quick. "Just please promise me you'll be careful. I don't want anything to happen to you, Hermione."

"I promise," she assures him with a smile. "I've got to go now though."

Hermione runs up to the common room and grabs her bag, telling Ginny that she's going to be studying in the library. She doesn't like lying to her, but Harry had asked it to keep it between the three of them. The three of them being Hermione, Ron, and Harry. For some reason she stops in the bathroom on her way down to the third floor to check her hair. Which is ridiculous because it's still as bushy as ever, besides, why would Malfoy care what her hair looks like. Hermione is waiting in the abandoned classroom when Malfoy walks in. He sees her and sends a friendly nod in her direction. As he walks over and sits down at a desk, Hermione gets up and stands in front of the classroom, a book held in front of her.

"Tonight I thought we'd start with reviewing the fundamentals of Charms," she says, finding her voice is a pitch higher than normal.

"Sounds great," Malfoy says. Hermione isn't sure if he's being sarcastic or not, but he does pull out a piece of parchment paper, an ink well, and a quill. She takes a deep breath and starts to lecture about all her favorite parts of charms. Occasionally she pauses to write a particularly important point on the blackboard behind her. She stops once her watch reads eight thirty.

"Sorry," she says. "I didn't realize how much time had gone by."

"Time flies when you're having fun," Malfoy quips as he packs up his materials.

"When should we do this again?" she asks as she starts to wipe off the blackboard.

"Wednesday?" he asks.

"Sure," she says and turns her back to him.

"Thank you, Granger," Malfoy says in a low voice before walking out of the classroom. Hermione finds herself smiling despite herself on her way back to the common room. She makes sure to wipe it off her face before she gives The Fat Lady the password though. She didn't have one of those faces that smiled all the time, so Ron and Harry would think it was weird if she was grinning from ear to ear.

A few weeks pass of Hermione tutoring Malfoy every Monday and Wednesday night. She starts to feel like they can really, maybe be friends. Like maybe, they were wrong about each other. They still call each other by their first names but otherwise they're friendly with each other. Finally it's the thirtieth of October and its nearing nine o clock in the evening when stops her lecturing.

"It is getting late," she remarks, checking her watch. "You probably should get going."

"That's not it," Malfoy says in what Hermione guesses is a nervous voice. What could he mean then?

"What is it?" Hermione asks, sitting on the desk at the front of the classroom and crossing one ankle over the other.

"There's just something I would like to talk to you about," Malfoy says, getting up and starting to put his things away. He stops and looks at her. "Would you meet me tomorrow night? On the astronomy tower?"

"Sure, I can do that," she says before she can really think.

After he's gone, she starts to wonder if she was being stupid. Then she shakes her head with a sigh. Malfoy's not dangerous. She can take him down with a punch if necessary. She finishes cleaning up and then kills the lights on her way out. Hermione is walking toward the staircase when she bumps into someone. It's Ron. He grabs her so she doesn't fall over and takes a step back.

"There you are," he says, running a hand through his hair and then stuffing it in his trouser pocket. "I came down to find you."

"Lost track of time," she says with an easy smile although her heart is beating excessively fast. For some reason Ron makes her feel extra nervous these days. "Anyway, shouldn't you be hanging out with Lavender or something?"

"I don't know what your big deal is. Do you not like her or something?"

"She's cruel and simple minded is all," Hermione says huffily. "But don't worry about me Ron, I can take care of myself."

Hermione pushes past him and walks as fast as she can to Gryffindor Tower, leaving him to stare after her. She wished that she could simply accept that Lavender and Ron were dating, but every time they were together in public, it felt like Ron was slapping her in the face. Maybe she was being stubborn, but she simply couldn't accept it. Hermione has a troublesome time sleeping that night. Her dreams are a mixture of Ron and Lavender grossly snogging and Malfoy's penetrating gray eyes. She wakes up the next morning tired but excited that it's Halloween.

The day's lessons seem to go by rather quickly. After dinner, she finds herself changing her clothes. He picks a light blue sweater and dark blue jeans to wear. Then she French braid's her hair. It's supposed to be windy tonight, and she doesn't want her mane of hair beating her in the face every ten seconds. She's even ashamed that she puts on a little mascara and lip-gloss before heading out of her dormitory.

"Hey, Hermione, where you going?" Ginny asks as Hermione heads toward the exit to the common room.

"Library," Hermione tells her. "I really need to study." With that, she pushes the portrait open, hoping desperately that Ginny didn't notice that Hermione isn't carrying any books.


	3. Chapter 3

Hermione tells herself that she doesn't have to be in a hurry, yet she can't stop her feet from going as fast as they can possibly go without running. She tries to still her heart before it beats right out of her chest. She knows that's not scientifically possible however and the logic of the situation does calm her down a bit. It does nothing whatsoever for her sweaty palms and the butterflies dancing away in her lower abdomen.

She finally makes it to the Astronomy Tower in one piece. She takes the steps slowly. Only now does she go slow, not sure what awaits her at the top. She reaches the top of the stairs and pushes open the door. Malfoy is standing on the opposite end of the tower. The only light they have is from the nearly full moon, which shines against Malfoy's hair delicately. He turns as she starts to walk toward him and actually smiles at her.

"Hey," he says when she reaches him.

"Hey," Hermione says nervously. Oh God, she thinks, what does he want? He's wearing a dark green sweater and black trousers that are just tight enough. She can't help but notice how very attractive he is right now.

"How are you?" he asks, glancing down and meeting her eyes.

"Why did you ask me here?" Hermione demands, skipping right over the niceties and small talk. She can't think when he's looking at her like that. She needs to think.

"I guess maybe I wanted to see you outside of the abandoned classroom on the third floor," he admits, shoving a hand through his blonde hair, messing it up. Somehow, he still looks devastatingly handsome. He takes a step toward Hermione.

"Why?" she asks, the words coming out like a whisper.

"I think I like you Hermione," he says, taking another step toward her. One more step and he'd be standing where she is.

"But I'm a mudblood," she says desperately as one of his hands reaches out and grasps both of hers. "You've told me this, repeatedly since we've known each other."

"I've realized that there are things my parents could be wrong about," he says, running his thumb in circles across her hand.

"Stop," she says and he lets go. "I can't think when you do that."

"Maybe you shouldn't." He grabs her around the waist and pulls her into him. He stares into her eyes deeply for the barest of moments before their lips meet. Hermione isn't sure how it happened, but her hands find themselves buried in his silky blond hair. She can't help the low sound that escapes her mouth as they break apart. Her hands are still in his hair and his arms are still snaked around her waist. "Are you still thinking?" he words come out raspy and breathless.

"No," she admits, removing her hands from his hair. "But I need to." She takes a step back when he releases her waist.

"What does that mean?"

"Meet me here tomorrow night at seven," she says. Some part of her is still not thinking though, because she stands on her tiptoes and presses her lips to his before turning away and fleeing the scene.

Her mind is all muddy as she makes her way back to Gryffindor Tower. She's breathless by the time that she reaches The Fat Lady. Hermione takes a minute to collect herself before giving the portrait the password and heading into the common room. Only a couple people are still milling around as she makes her way to the girl's dormitory, but luckily, no one looks at her. She sleeps so well that night that she might as well have been in a coma.

The next morning she's a nervous wreck. She knows exactly what she wants to do. She also knows what she should do. She can't seem to choose between what she wants and what she thinks that Harry would want her to do. Worst of all, she can't talk to him about it because she knows exactly what he would say. He would let his prejudice against Malfoy get in the way. All Hermione really needs though is a best friend to talk to.

She can barely concentrate in her morning classes and doesn't even bother to take her usual diligent notes in History of Magic. By the time lunch rolls around her stomach is wrapped into a tight ball of nerves. She can barely eat, and leaves the table before anyone else. Hermione spares a glance at the Slytherin table and sees Malfoy watching her curiously. All she can manage is a nod before heading out.

That evening at dinner, she's a bit more calm. Hermione knows what she has to do, but that only makes her a tad less nervous. She's playing with her chicken wing when Ginny plops down next to her a good ten minutes late. Her face is rather flushed but not in the usual way. More in an angry way. Hermione sends her a smile but Ginny just continues to pout.

"What is it?" Hermione asks her after dinner as they head back to the common room.

"Dean's just stupid is all," Ginny assures her. Hermione can't help but laugh.

"Oh is that all? What'd your stupid boyfriend do?"

"Last night while you were in the library I was hanging out with my brother and Harry," Ginny starts to explain as they head up the staircase. "And today Dean had the nerve to insinuate that Harry has a crush on me. Of course, he also had to bring up the fact that I had a crush on Harry when I first started school here. But he's an idiot because Harry doesn't have a crush on me. What should I do?"

Hermione doesn't dare tell her that she suspects that Harry does have a crush on Ginny. "Punch him in the face?" she offers instead. They've reached The Fat Lady.

"Perhaps I will," Ginny says as they step into the common room. "Are you off to the library?"

"Yeah," Hermione says, heading up the stairs to the girls dormitory. "I'll see you later. Good luck with the punching of Dean's face." Hermione steps into her room and grabs her bag. She shoves a sweater in it and then heads out again.

When she reaches the Astronomy tower Malfoy is waiting for her. He looks up at her expectantly. He's wearing his school uniform tonight as is she. His tie is a little undone. He reminds her off one of those devil may care prep school boys, which she guesses he really is. She takes a couple cautious steps toward him, her heart hammering unsteadily in her chest. She stops a couple feet from him.

"Did you really need a charms tutor?" Hermione asks him in a low, soft voice.

"No," he says after a moment of silence.

"Why'd you tell me you did then?" she demands. "Were you just trying to mess with my mind."

"I guess I wanted to get to know you. I knew you wouldn't meet me under any other circumstances." He takes a cautious step towards her.

"Why aren't you disgusted by me?" Hermione asks, a sad sound whispering through her words.

"I met my Aunt Andromeda this summer," Draco says. "And then I met her husband. They were such genuine, nice, and remarkable people. It messed with my head. I started to think that maybe if my parents had been wrong about them they could be wrong about all muggleborns and blood traitors."

Hermione doesn't miss the fact that he said muggleborn instead of mudblood. She takes a step toward him, closing the distance between them. "Harry thinks you're a death eater," she admits. "Are you?"

He takes a step back. "I was coerced into receiving the Dark Mark," he admits. "But I have no loyalty to them or to him. Please you have to believe me."

Hermione thinks for a moment. "I believe you. I don't know why but I believe you," she pauses and takes a deep breath as he steps toward her again. She reaches up and caresses his cheek with her hand. "We can't let anyone know about this whatever it is."

"No," he agrees. "I don't think any of them would understand." With that, Hermione grabs the collar of his shirt and closes the distance between them, placing her lips on his. Malfoy gasps and shoves his hands through her bushy hair, pulling her as close to him as she can possibly be. Standing this close there are only atoms between them. Hermione doesn't miss how tightly muscles he is and Malfoy can't help but notice the softness of this tense bookwork he had abhorred for years.

Hey! I hope you like this chapter. It's probably a bit shorter than usual, but seeing as it's valentines day I thought I'd write one anyway. Tell me how much you like it please.


End file.
